Lunch at the Thirteenth Annual "Hero Luncheon"
DOWNLOADMay 7, 2019 - Chukwudi Charles Olumba
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EmailHighlights 45, Chukwudi Charles Olumba, Lunch at the Thirteenth Annual "Hero Luncheon", April 2019.
I love the way things are done around here in Michigan. Even if something would be beneficial to you, they will still plead with you to attend or partake in it. Why am I saying this??? My mentor here at MSU, Oyinkan Tasie, invited my fellow visiting scholars and me to a lunch with him at the 13th Annual “Hero Luncheon” hosted by Rotary Club of Haslett/Okemos. This was his exact statement, “I would be pleased to have you three join us for lunch. It is a ticketed event and I will be covering the cost of the tickets”.
A day at the Heroes Luncheon, I was shocked to see Dr. Tasie at our apartment. Guess what??? He came to deliver the meal tickets to us. He made us feel special and loved. The following day, February 12, 2019, we arrived at the UKAI Japanese Restaurant, Woodlake Drive, Okemos, Michigan for the event. The Rotary club staff themselves, including the president, took meal orders and served the meals to us. I observed “HUMILITY at its PEAK”. Moreover, Dr. Tasie told us that, “the proceeds from this event are used to support Haslett-Okemos Rotary Foundation efforts, with a focus on scholarships and meeting unique financial needs of local high school students”. I was amazed by their generosity.
We relished “HOT SOUP” to keep us warm as we waited for our orders. I first saw this soup served in a movie titled "THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY". So you know how excited I was when it was served to me. If you haven’t tried this soup before, you definitely need to try it someday. It has a special way of stabilizing your body in preparation for the main menu. However, if you aren’t used to it, please be careful because it may just as well do the direct opposite, “exacerbate the hunger level”. I am talking from experience, though not mine.
It’s usually fun to visit your Professors out of office hours. You will be so shocked to see the way they laugh, tell stories and even “PLAY”. Dr. Tasie made the event so lively. He encouraged us to always try to mingle with people irrespective of their race or gender, utilize all the necessary resources available to us, attend and give presentations in seminars to discuss our research ideas and as well learn from other peoples’ research too.
I know you aren’t interested in all I have been saying, you are patiently reading to see what I eventually ordered. Well, the truth is that after going through their menu, I became confused about what to order. So we decided to ask for help! At least I know for sure my plate of food had in it grilled beef, rice, vegetables, etc.. In fact, see photo below for a more comprehensive list of items.
After the lunch, we visited the kitchen and were amazed at the chefs’ performance. We saw the kitchen equipment involved in preparing the delicious, special meals. I am tempted to open a branch of UKAI restaurant on my return, and invite one of their best chefs here in Michigan, so that others can be opportune to have the experience I had. So that my people in my country can enjoy this delicacy.
In all, the lunch experience with the professor is one I won't easily forget. It is an interesting style of learning outside the four walls of the classroom. I wish we could do this again!!!
